


When I’m Sixty Four

by buckys_bitch



Category: 1917 (Movie 2019)
Genre: 1920s, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Exhaustion Hallucinations, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Period-Typical Homophobia, Post-Canon, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Relationship Strain, Spoilers for 1917, Survivor Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:13:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22513798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckys_bitch/pseuds/buckys_bitch
Summary: The emotion that can break your heart is sometimes the very one that heals it.
Relationships: Joseph Blake/William Schofield, Post Tom Blake/William Schofield, Tom Blake/William Schofield
Comments: 12
Kudos: 73





	1. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering, I am combining all of the works together to make it easier to find. If Joseph Blake is not your thing, this chapter is strictly Tom and Will. Thank you loves <3

By the time Schofield had climbed out of the river, his body ached with exhaustion. He doesn’t know why he keeps going. His love is dead, and it’s morning already; the regiment should already be dead and gone by now. But he gets up and moves on, stalking like a corpse to the sounds he hears.

When he realized that not all hope was lost, adrenaline surged through him and life was a blur. The message was delivered to Mackenzie, he told Joseph that Tom is dead, and he can’t breathe. 

He’s sleep deprived, injured, hungry, and aching, longing for Tom. Slowly but surely, he made it to the tree in the middle of tall weed grass and sits in front of it. Immediately, he breaks into sobs. Tom’s death hadn’t been registered in him for hours, but giving his rings to Joseph seemed to solidify it in his brain: his love was dead. 

He never knew this small, red-cheeked teenager would ever effect him this much, but he can’t stop crying. Blake was his best friend, and Will now had to get up and carry on with the war and go home without Tom. 

“I don’t know why you’re crying,” Tom said. Will immediately stopped crying. “You’re dead. I left you near the blossoms, so you would be happy,” he said, his voice hoarse. He wiped his eyes and looked up at his love. 

Tom was not carrying his packs, or rifle, or wearing his helmet. He was dressed in normal clothing; his shoes looked freshly polished, his pants were a deep blue, and his white undershirt was tucked in. His hair was clean, the honey curls grown slightly more than the army allowed. It looked like he had taken a shower to clean himself of everything that the war had done to him. 

“Do I look dead to you?” Blake asked, sitting in the grass next to Will. “No,” he said stupidly. Tom wiped the tears off of Will’s cheeks. “I’m here, with you. Tell me everything,” Tom whispered. 

Will leaned on to Blake’s shoulder and sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m so tired, Tommy. So tired. And hungry. And I fell earlier... I might have a concussion. I’m definitely bleeding.” Tom set his hand on Will’s face, cupping his jaw. “Tell me you made it,” Tom said. 

“Of course I made it. I made it. And some people were injured, but Joe- Joseph- is okay,” Will assured Tom. Tom let out his own sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he said, eyes filling with tears. “No, no, don’t cry,” Will said, sitting up. He cradled Tom is his arms as he wept. 

“I love you,” Tom said, sitting up to look Will in the eye. His eyes and nose weren’t red, and the tears fell softly down his cheeks. He looked too perfect, but Will was too tired to think any of it. “I love you. Thomas Blake, I love you,” Will said, smiling. 

Tom said nothing but smiled as he leaned in to kiss Will gently. Will kisses back with all he had, beginning to cry. “Why are you crying?” Tom asked. “You’re- you’re not you! You’re dead. Tom, I had to leave you! But now you’re kissing me?” Will asked incredulously. Tears were falling down his face, clearing the dirt and blood caked on to it.

“I’m here for you one last time,” Tom said. Will thought on it for a moment and nodded. “Can we sleep, then? I’m exhausted,” he said. Tom nodded and laid down in the grass. Will quickly threw off his packs and his helmets. 

They laid face to face, just staring at each other. Will was playing with Tom’s curls, trying to keep his mind entertained and eyes open. “It’s time for you to sleep, Will,” Tom said. “Kiss me one last time?” Will asked. 

Tom sat up and leaned over top of Will, kissing him deeply. “It’s time for you to sleep, now, Will,” he repeated in a whisper. He laid back down next to Will, wrapping his arms around him. "I love you," Will said. "I love you, Scho," Tom mumbled the way he did when he was tired. Will closed his eyes and was asleep in seconds. 

"Lance corporal," someone said. They were shaking Will awake. It was well into the next afternoon, the sun was half way in the sky. "Lance Corporal Schofield." Luitenant Blake. Will sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Tom?" Will asked. Joseph tensed. "Not him, his brother. Are you well enough to stand?" his brother asked. "I don't know, sir. I lost a lot of blood and I have a concussion. My hand is also poor off," Will said. "Let's get you fixed up then," Blake said, offering his hand out to Will. 

Will took it and stood up. "I miss him. I miss him a lot," he said. "I know. I do too. There's nothing we can do now but win," Joe replied. Will wanted to tell him that his brother would hold Will while he cried, kiss him when he was nervous, and make love to him when they were bored. Joseph deserved to know that Tom was never really alone, but Will suspected he already knew. He hobbled over to the medic station and sat on a cot, waiting to be seen. His eyes glazed over and his back hunched. 

Will Schofield would never be the same, and he would never love again.


	2. I Wanna Be Loved By You

Lance Corporal William Schofield was to be honorably discharged a week after he reported to the 2nd Devons. Lance Corporal Thomas Blake was also supposed to be discharged, but he never made it. 

Will was still inconsolable; he randomly burst into tears on the regular and his hands shook violently whenever he got nervous. The only person who could calm him down was Lieutenant Joseph Blake, Lance Corporal Blake’s brother. 

His anxiety furthered so terribly that Schofield would dote behind Lt. Blake to have him in sight. Sometimes, he would even have to put a hand on his shoulder to ground himself. At night, Blake and Schofield held each other. They hardly slept, but they weren’t so worried about each other if they were close. 

“William,” Joseph whispered. It was pitch black outside of the Lieutenant’s sleeping quarters dug in the wall. He had his own for being in such a high command, but it was a little cramped. A small oil lamp was on top of a wooden chest a foot away from Blake’s cot. His clothes were folded neatly on another wooden chest near the foot of his bed. The earthen room was quite bare besides. 

“Yes?” Will whispered back. “I’m worried about you,” Joseph said, pulling away from their embrace to look at him. He brushed a piece of hair behind Will’s ear. “What are you going to do when I can’t hold you? Or tell you that it will be okay?” 

Will sighed. “I don’t know. I’m going to be a little fucked, aren’t I?” he laughed. Joseph didn’t laugh. “You should live with my mother until I return,” he said. “What? I could never encroach on her or your lives like that,” Will replied. 

“You already kind of have,” Joseph chuckled. William looked a little put-out. “No, no, in the best way. My weary days have become better, thanks to you and the hell you had to go through to be here.

“I just mean that... I’m going to need you after this is over, too, I think. Life will be hard when you go home,” Joseph said. Will smiled. “If you’re offering, write your mother to ask her and tell her to write me if she accepts. If she wants me to live with her, I will. I’ll wait for you,” Will said quietly. 

Joseph hugged him tight. He didn’t feel like Tom. Tom was smaller, rounder, softer. Joe was wide, stocky, and sharp. It was different, but it helped. 

“I honestly don’t know what I would do without you. I couldn’t handle it alone,” William said. Joseph knew exactly what ‘it’ was. “Me neither. When you arrived, when you told me... we were the only ones that knew him, weren’t we?” Joseph asked. “Yes,” Will nodded. 

“We need each other, Will. We need to stick together,” Joe said. “Have you-?” Will began to ask, trailing off. “Figured out that you were more than friends? A while ago. But Tom and I are the same,” Joe said, without once ever mentioning the real thing in true Blake fashion. 

Will’s breathing was heavy. “You remind me of him. And it makes my heart hurt. But then you speak, and do things for me Tom would have never thought of... it makes me feel guilty. Guilty that if I had met you before him-.” 

Joseph put his hands on either sides of Will’s face. “That you would’ve loved me first,” he finished for him. Will simply nodded. “I feel guilty that I make you feel pain. And I feel guilty that I want to kiss you,” Joe said. “Kiss me,” Will exhaled. 

Joe leaned in slowly and pressed a soft kiss to Will’s lips. “It’s hard to feel guilty when it’s so, so, so good,” he whispered in between kisses. “Joseph,” Will said quietly, voice hitching. “Yes?” Joe asked, kissing Will’s neck. 

“I would rather wait for you to have me at home. I can’t do that again here. I would feel dirty, like he’s watching and would be angry with me,” Will said, his fingers creeping through Joe’s soft brown curls. “I understand. I feel the same. Would you like to rest now?” Joe asked. Will nodded again, wrapping his arms around Joe’s neck as he laid across his chest. 

“We will learn to become whole again, William,” Joseph said. “I know. It will take a long time, but I know,” Will said. He leaned up to kiss Joe and laid back down. They fell asleep peacefully soon after. 

The orchard in Essex looked nicer than the one in France. The Blake’s home was just up the road, but if Will spent too much time there, he would feel as if he was suffocating. It wasn’t that Mrs. Blake wasn’t kind, or that she was overbearing, but Will saw Tom in her and it physically hurt to have her doting on him like Tom did. He couldn’t imagine the pain that seeing him brought her, as he couldn’t imagine the relief that anyone Tom was good friends with could bring. Will was only there upon Joseph’s request and all the people in the house were aware of it. 

Will spent the rest of the summer writing to Joseph as much as he could, encouraging him to do his best. Their written conversations let Will explore and figure out Joseph as his own person, not only Tom’s brother. No matter how much Will wrote to Joe, he still could never figure out what kept them together. Tom’s death connected them, made them meet, and drew them into a situation where they were inseparable for a week until they had to leave each other. Nothing stopped them from dissipating their relationship. 

Will worried that once they were together, Joe would remind him too much of Tom and they would have to stop because he would cry. Or that they weren’t meant to be together at all and Will would lose his crutch. He loved Tom, but he loved Joe, too. 

Summers in Essex were warm and slightly sticky, but only when fully dressed. Will often did not wear his button ups, just his undershirt, slacks, and sometimes suspenders. He had his hair swept back and was a lot skinnier than when he was in the trenches. He took a picture of himself for Joseph and included it in one of the letters. He wrote a poem in French for him, knowing he would be able to read it. Mrs. Blake had her boys learn French from a young age. 

The next fall when Joseph returned home with nothing but small shrapnel scars on his arms and torso, his whole family was relieved. Mr. and Mrs. Blake were in the house when he walked in the front door. They both cried, hugged, and kissed their son’s forehead. It was a heavy weight that Tom was not with him. 

Joseph made his way to the orchard after being directed there by his mother. Will was standing in the middle of the land facing away from the gated entrance. When he heard Joe approach, Will spoke. “I still feel guilty,” he said. “When he died, he died protecting the life of a German man that I had suggested we kill. I should’ve killed him. Tom should be here. I should be kissing Tom.” 

“But instead you’ve got me,” Joe said, voice flat. Will turned around quickly. “Not to say that you aren’t wonderful. It’s just that... you know. Tom,” Will said. “I know he’s gone, but I would like to grieve with you now. I don’t want to watch you pity yourself until you die, too,” Joe said. 

“I love you,” was all Will replied. Joe slowly approached him, making Will nervous. He began jogging, then running. He picked Will up and spun him around. When he sat the younger boy down, he leaned in to kiss him. “I love you. I’ve missed you so, so much,” Joe said. There were a few tears from the both of them, but it was joyous for the first time in years. 

They kissed, and they kissed, and they kissed. They held each other, Joe’s hands on Will’s face and Will’s hands on Joe’s shoulders. “Don’t ever go away again,” Will gasped, letting Joe kiss him so roughly his lips were sure to bruise. “I won’t. Not even if I’m supposed to. I will never leave you,” Joe said, voice raspy. 

Will planted a sloppy kiss to Joe’s lips one final time before stepping away to look him in the face. “You need to take a shower and get some rest, love,” he said gently, running a clean hand over Joe’s dirty cheek. “I’m barely walking. Will you help me?” Joe asked. The bags under Joe’s eyes spoke more than Joe needed to. The man was exhausted. 

Wordlessly, Will guided Joseph to the house by his shoulders. He ran the bath, getting it warm and sudsy, then undressed Joe and helped him into the tub. There was nothing sexual about this; Joe needed help and Will was there for him. 

Will scrubbed every inch of dirt off of Joe’s body, even cleaning the mud out of his cuticles. Joe was falling asleep by the time they were halfway through, so Will tried to hurry. He drained the tub, helped Joe up, and wrapped a towel around him. 

Will left Joe to sit on the toilet while he looked for Joe’s softest pair of pajamas. He found two pairs of fuzzy flannel pants for the both of them, but helped Joe into them first and slid him into bed before putting some on himself. 

Will climbed in the comforters and curled into Joe’s chest. “Sleep now, Joe. We will have time tomorrow,” Will whispered, tracing shapes with his nail softly on Joe’s stomach. “I love you,” Joe whispered sleepily. Will leaned up to kiss him with a smile. “Goodnight, I love you.” 

Lance Corporal William Schofield learned to love a fierce, undying love again with a man who taught him how.


	3. When My Baby Smiles at Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> nsfw

It’s a wonder that Joseph’s parents haven’t caught them yet. They’d been sneaking kisses and slight touches as much as they possibly could, even the slight outside-the-pants rub. Blake and Schofield hadn’t gone far enough to Schofield’s satisfaction.

It was well into the 1920s, The Great War had been over for some time. The two of them lived in the Blakes’ home while trying to save for a countryside house of their own. Lovers as they were, they shared a bed, but wrote it off as the shell shock of coming home.

They had plenty of opportunities to have sex. William had no idea why they couldn’t go that far. Maybe he really would never forgive himself for Tom and would be guilty until he died. Maybe he would never know Joe in that way. Maybe Joe was insecure.

Who was he kidding? Joseph Blake was anything but insecure.

The man exuded confidence all the time, no matter where he went. He deserved to, too. He was lean, muscular, and mighty handsome. He wasn’t quite as tall as Schofield, but he was close.

William adored Joseph and clung to him constantly. Joseph loved the attention, just like Tom did, and William loved to give it. Often times, Blake would open his arms and expect Schofield to climb into his chest and press his face into Joe’s shoulder and hum, all of which Will did whole heartedly.

Their bed sharing had gotten hot and heavy more and more each day they were together. Will would sit in Joe’s lap and grind down, wanting him to feel his own hard-on. Joe left big hickeys on Will’s collarbones, only to be seen by the two of them. There were bruises on Will’s hips from the grasp of Joe’s large hands.

“Stop, stop bruising me,” Will gasped, pulling back from Joe’s lips and intertwined their hands on Will’s waist. Will was sitting on Joe’s lap, legs on either side of his hips. “I can’t help it. You make me so fucking horny,” Joseph said, voice low. He leaned in to kiss Will’s chest through his undershirt.

“Fuck’s sake, is there something keeping you from touching my skin?” Will groaned. “That was a little out of nowhere. What’s this about?” Joe smirked. Will groaned again. “It’s just that, I don’t know, you could be touching my bare skin. I trust you. You make me so happy, Joseph, so just fucking touch my fucking skin.”

Joe wasted no time in throwing the cotton shirt off of Will and onto the edge of the bed. He ran his hands up and down Will’s sides making him shudder. He finally leaned in, took a deep breath, and wrapped his arms around Will’s middle. “You’re so warm.”

“What’re you doing?” Will laughed. “Loving you,” Joe replied. Will weaved his hands in Joe’s curls, rubbing his scalp. They sat in silence for a while, just letting each other become comfortable with being naked for a second. “I want to see your cock,” Joseph whispered.

Will’s breathing became labored. “Okay,” he exhaled. Joe’s hands moved to his ass, kneading and grasping. His fingers slid into the waistband of the borrowed flannel pants Will was wearing and gently slid them down. Will inhaled sharply at the chilly air in Blake’s room, while Joe gasped at Will’s size.

“Can I touch you?” Joseph asked. Will nodded vigorously. “Please,” he said, voice cracking slightly. Joe slowly raised his hand and began pumping slowly. Will shuddered and placed a hand on Joe’s shoulder to keep himself steady. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do this?” Joseph whispered. Will shook his head.

“Forever... for forever. And I just couldn’t. You make me nervous,” Joe said, all the while jerking Will off. All Will could do was moan quietly and throw his head back. “Joe,” he whined quietly. “I wish we could be loud. I want to hear you. When we live alone, do you promise you won’t ever hold back?” Joseph asked, speeding up his gestures.

Will sunk his nails into Joe’s back. “Of course. I’ll be loud, I swear,” Will said, voice quiet and shaky. “Good. Now, come,” Joe said, a devious smile on his face. Will’s eyes went wide and Joe quickened his pace. He came quickly and spent himself into Joe’s hand.

Will fell limp in the bed next to Joe. “It’s your turn,” he whispered, turning to roll over on top of Joe. “Just watch,” Joe said. He pulled his pajama pants down and used Will’s come as lube. “Oh, fuck,” Will groaned.

He watched Joe’s hands as he touched himself, then looked up to see his blissed out face; Joe’s eyes were scrunched up and he was biting his bottom lip. Will smashed their lips together, feeling their teeth click and his lip almost split, but he didn’t care. He was so consumed with Joe that he couldn’t think about anything else.

Joe came shortly after, moaning his high into Will’s mouth. They sat with their foreheads pressed together for a minute, just breathing heavily. Joe leaned over Will to grab a tissue from his nightstand, wiping his hand and abdomen clean.

“You’re huge,” Will said, then laughed. Joe laughed with him, sliding his arms around Will’s waist. “So’re you,” Joe said, putting his face in the crook of Will’s neck. Will laughed and hugged Joe close. “Tell me why it took so long for us to do that,” Will said quietly, though it came out more like a question.

“You make me nervous,” Joseph insisted. “There is no way that I make you nervous,” Will said, putting his finger on his own chest, then Joe’s. “You make me nervous, Will,” Joe said, kissing Will chastely. Will smiled at him.

“You are a dream, Joseph Blake,” Will said, laying back on his pillow. “You’re my dream, William Schofield,” Joe said, propping his head up on his elbow to smile at Will. “You drive me wild, Joseph,” Will said quietly, leaning in to kiss Joe but not quite. “Don’t be a tease, William,” Joe growled, closing the gap between them.

Will pulled away, laughing. “Goodnight, Joe,” he whispered, pressing a soft kiss on Joe’s upper arm on the nastiest scar he had. Joe put out the kerosene lamp on his nightstand and rolled back to face to Will. “Goodnight, my love,” he said, tucking a piece of hair behind Will’s ear and resting a hand on his hip. They settled into the warmth each other and the darkness of the room.

Despite the February chill, the days seemed to become warmer and longer. The cherry trees were beginning to bear fruit. Will thought on Tom from time to time, especially when he saw fresh picked cherries on the wooden countertop of the Blake house.

Will and Joe were outside picking the cherries for Mrs. Blake while she and her husband were running errands in London for the day. For every fruit picked, Joe would eat two. They were so sour that his face puckered up and it made Will laugh. He would kiss Joe and taste the sweetness of the cherry and his lips. It was intoxicating.

“Did he ever tell you about this?” Joe asked. “He did,” Will nodded. “When he died... there was a farm with their own cherry blossom orchard. He’s near there,” he said quietly. “Oh,” Joe said, choked up.

“I just- I- wanted him to see them and feel peace,” Will said, his own emotions betraying him as tears welled in his eyes. Joe fell to the ground, spilling cherries everywhere. Will set his down gently and sat himself next to Joe. He wrapped his arms around the crying man, trying to console him.

“He’s not in pain, Joe. He’s okay. And he’s with us always. He loves you,” Will said. “He loves you, too,” Joe sniffed. Will placed a hand on Joe’s cheek, feeling the slight stubble left from not shaving for a few days. “Don’t think for a second that he wouldn’t want us to be happy, then,” Will said, smiling sadly.

“I know. It’s just-. You know the feeling, too. And sometimes the grief is too much,” Joe said, placing his own hand over Will’s. “I do. And I know it’s a lot to handle. Let’s pick these up and bring them to the house and we’ll get warm under the covers, yeah?” Will asked, using his thumb to wipe the tears off of Joe’s cheek. Joe nodded.

They walked hand in hand through the orchard, carrying their baskets on the opposite side. The cherries were set on the counter next to the small fridge in the kitchen. It was hardly the afternoon, but they were changing into pajamas already. Will was in Joe’s oversized shirt which fell to the top of his thighs and Joe was in pajama pants and a sleeveless shirt.

The radio in Joe’s room was old and hadn’t been used in years. Will turned it on and switched it to a channel playing love songs. He swayed gently by himself, watching as Joe climbed under the covers of their bed. “Dance with me,” Will said, reaching his arms out.

“Baby,” Joe whined. “What? I wanna dance,” Will said, smiling. “I know, and I can’t say no to you,” Joe said, still whining but he stood up anyway. Will smiled even brighter, reaching out to grab Joe’s hands to bring him close.

Joe’s hands rested low on Will’s hips and Will’s arms were draped across Joe’s shoulders. They swayed together quietly, just holding each other and letting Irving Berlin’s croon of Always play over the radio. “Never did I think I would have this,” Joe said.

“Never? Not one person like you?” Will asked. “You’re from London, it’s different there. Here in the country... people aren’t as accepting as the big city. One wrong move and you’re done for,” Joe said. “You’re right, people’re more forgiving in the city. But when we were at war, what did you think? That I was holding on to you and cuddling you platonically?” Will laughed.

“No, but I do think that you could’ve just been upset. If I had said anything to you first about you loving Tom, you could’ve yelled at me. We wouldn’t have each other, lovingly or not,” Joe explained. “Having Tom and I- two homosexuals- in one family is almost unheard of. I don’t think I could’ve gone on without you.”

William was stunned. Joe pressed his face into Will’s shoulder, inhaling deeply. “You’re a brave man, Joseph. I admire your strength. I love you, and there’s hardly a thing you could do to change that,” Will whispered. Joe looked up at him in the eye, smiling crookedly. “You’re a suck up, but a cute suck up. Come here,” Joe said, wrapping his fingers in the short hairs at the base of Will’s neck to bring him in for a kiss.

It became heated very quickly, but Joe pulled away very shortly after. “I can’t right now, I’m sorry. I’m thinking about Tom,” he said. “I miss him so much,” Will said, “I miss him, but I know he wouldn’t want us to be sad over him. Let’s sit and read something, yeah?”

Will turned down the radio and grabbed a book as Joe climbed into bed. Will clambered in after him, making them both laugh at his awkwardness. They got settled with Will slightly propped up against pillows and Joe laying across his chest.

“Have you read this yet? The Young Visiters?” Will asked, showing Joe the book with one hand and carding through his soft curls with the other. Joe shook his head and yawned. “I’ll read it to you until you fall asleep,” Will whispered.

It only took a few pages before Joe was sound asleep, snoring softly. Will smiled at him, setting the book on the nightstand and put out the kerosene lamp. He ran his fingers through Joseph’s curls, cradling Joe’s head to his chest.

Tears silently streamed down Will’s cheeks as he began to cry, the grief of Tom hitting him all at once. He kept a strong face for Joe, but it hurt to think about losing his first love. Trying to calm down, he breathed slowly in his nose and out his mouth. Finally he grounded himself and pulled Joe closer. “We’ll be okay,” Will whispered to nobody but the setting sun.

Joe woke up the next morning before the sun had come up. He felt Will’s light breathing as his chest rose and fell, his bones slightly poking through the cotton fabric of his shirt. “You’re too small,” Joe whispered to Will, but he was sound asleep.

Joe rolled off of Will to stretch, sitting up. He felt bad for snuffing Will last night, especially since they had both lost someone when Tom died. He gently shook Will halfway awake, hearing him hum in awareness before kissing him chastely, then again before Will fully woke up.

“Morning,” Will groaned, smiling. “Morning, gorgeous,” Joe smiled, kissing Will deeply. He placed his hand on Will’s cheek, pulling him as close as possible. “Let me touch you. Please,” Will pleaded breathlessly. “I can’t tell you no,” Joe said, ruffling Will’s hair.

Will pulled the covers down off of the both of them and sat up. He threw a leg over Joe and sat on his lap. “This isn’t a hand job,” Joe said, smiling. Will got close to his face, centimeters away from a kiss. “Change of plans,” he whispered, rolling his hips down. Joe moaned and Will finally pressed their lips together.

“Will, c’mon,” Joe whispered. “Already? Needy, needy,” Will teased, kissing down Joe’s neck. “Yes, I’m needy. Now give it to me,” Joe said, turning his neck to give Will more access and placed his hands on Will’s hips.

“Can you come with just...,” Will said against Joe’s lips, grinding down, “friction?” Joe was panting, his fingertips pressing into Will’s hipbones. “Make it happen,” he said breathlessly. Will chuckled and kissed Joe senselessly.

It took only a minute or two more before Joe was curling his toes and coming in his pants. “You’re driving me mad, Billy,” he said, breathing hard as he came down from his high. “My pleasure. Now shower, you’re messy,” Will laughed, standing up on the side of the bed.

Joe stalked over to the bathroom to shower while Will began walking around his room aimlessly. He got dressed, then sat on the edge of the bed waiting for Joe to finish his shower. When he was finally done, Joe walked out of the bathroom halfway dressed, minus a button down. His hair was still slightly damp, the unruly curls on the top of his head darker than normal.

“Before the sun rises, would you do me a favor?” Will asked. “Anything,” Joe smiled. Will reached his hand out to grab Joe’s, reciprocating the smile. “Let’s go then. Grab a jacket.”

The sunrise above the gated orchard was a beautiful pink-gold, illuminating only the topmost blossoms of the cherry trees. William guided Joseph through the trees to their favorite spot next to a spot on the wall where a hole was knocked through to overlook a small pond.

“What’re we doing here?” Joe laughed, picking a few cherries off of a branch above his head. William crowded him into the wall, kissing him softly compared to the roughness of his actions. “D’you think you’re up for another one?” he whispered, hand hovering over Joe’s crotch.

“My hand job, huh?” Joe smirked. Will unzipped Joe’s slacks and dropped his his knees, pulling the pants down with him. “What’re you-,” Joe began, but realization hit him when Will’s hand and mouth were on him at the same time. “Oh. Oh, Will,” Joe moaned, a hand creeping in to the dirty blond hair before him.

As the sun rose to the East of them, Joe was leaned up against the shoddy brick wall of the orchard, half an eaten cherry in his mouth which was agape in moan. Will was on his knees, grass staining his tan slacks while putting forth his entire passion into pleasuring his favorite person on Earth.

For the second time that morning, Joe came fast with a short groan and unintentional hair pulling. Will hummed and took all of him in, smiling up at Joe with satisfaction. “You sneaky bastard,” Joe smiled, making Will laugh. He helped Will up off the ground and sat down on the bench nearby.

“That was my favorite thing that has ever happened to me in my life,” Joe said, pointing to the spot they were seconds before. Will leaned into his side, resting his head on Joe’s shoulder. “I want you to be happy,” he said, smiling brightly.

“I want you to be joyous. Sing from the hilltops, my dear! My baby’s lips are sweet, as sweet as sugar cane, and when my baby kisses me, well, I just can’t explain!” Joseph exclaimed, singing horribly, making Will laugh.

“It seems the sun comes out, shining all the while, and the world is filled with love, just like my baby’s smile,” Will sang the rest of the verse. Joe cheered and clapped, standing up and offering his hand for Will to take. Will did so, standing up to dance with him.

They danced together, all quiet except the rustling sounds of the world waking up and Joe’s faint hum of the rest of the song.

By the time they made it back to the house, it was almost eight. Mrs. Blake was in the kitchen preparing breakfast while Mr. Blake was at the table reading the newspaper. “So wonderful to see you two up,” she said, leaning her cheek out for a kiss from Joseph while keeping her eye on the eggs in the pan. He kissed her cheek and grabbed orange juice from the refrigerator while Will took his seat at the table.

“Will and I wanted to take a morning walk. It’s nice out- it’s not humid today,” Joe said, also taking his seat at the table. “That’s good. Your father and I are going to see your cousin, Elizabeth, and meet her new baby today. We’re leaving in the late afternoon and returning tomorrow,” his mother said.

“I didn’t know Eliza was having a baby or I would be going, too! I swear I would’ve gone,” Joe said. His father snorted. “You would rather eat your own shite than see Elizabeth again, wouldn’t you?” he asked. “Not true,” he protested, but his smile gave him away.

“You boys are fine here by yourselves, yes?” she asked, serving the eggs alongside sausage and English muffins. “Yes, ma’am,” Will nodded politely. “Good! Now dig in,” she smiled, gesturing to the food she made.

As the Blakes were off to Chelmsford in their spluttering family car, Will and Joe waved them goodbye from the front porch. “We have the whole house to ourselves,” Joe said into Will’s ear. “Let’s figure out what we’re going to have for dinner before you get into my pants, yeah?” Will laughed, turning to go in the house.

“I could get into your pants before and after dinner, it’s not strict or anything,” Joe said, following after Will. “As much as I would enjoy that, I need a little time. I’m sorry,” Will said. He had stopped at the door and hadn’t opened it yet, waiting for Joe to catch up. When he did, Will planted a soft kiss to his cheek. “Later, I promise,” he said. Joe nodded.

Will scavenged around the house to find things for dinner while Joe sat at the table and picked up his father’s newspaper. “Huh, the Americans swore in Coolidge,” he said, showing Will the newspaper. “It’s a shame Harding died, they love him, don’t you think?” Will asked.

Joe simply laughed. “What?” Will asked. “You look like a housewife, but you talk like a solider,” Joe said. Will couldn’t help but smile. “I only know how to cook one thing: spaghetti. I hope you like it because that’s what we’re having for dinner,” Will announced, turning back to the cupboard.

“I do. It’s one of my favorites,” Joe said. It was a lie. His mother made horrible spaghetti and he was put-off by the taste, but he didn’t want to make Will feel bad. “Good! We need to go to the shops soon to get what isn’t here,” Will said, sitting down at the table next to Joe.

“For the record, I would be your housewife any day,” he said, grabbing Joe’s hand. “That’s sweet, but I’m not overly interested in women, dear,” Joe smiled. Will roared with laughter, standing back up to look in the cabinets. “Make a list! We need pasta sauce, Parmesan...”.

They walked to the shops in the outskirts of London hand in hand, only until they reached the busy square and had to let go. They bought everything that was on their list, including a bottle of wine that Joe deemed necessary for any Italian meal, fake or not. The groceries were carried home in paper bags, joviality spread between their carriers.

“Will you help me make the food?” Will asked. “If I can eat while I go,” Joe smiled. “If only you were straight,” Will sighed. “What’s that supposed to mean? You’re not,” Joe asked. “You’d have an easy life, that’s all. And that’s the point, Joe. We’re not going to have an easy life,” Will said. “Get me a pan and turn on the stove, please.”

They cooked together and finished quicker than if Will had done it alone. Joe served up over-full glasses of wine and Will served up their spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread. They served each other and sat at the table. “Eat up,” Will smiled.

They ate and talked, talked about anything and everything. They were happy and safe, something they hadn’t been when they first met. The warmth of the house let them sit out without their button downs.

Fully satiated and tipsy, Will rinsed their dishes off in the sink and left them there to be fully washed later. Joe pulled him in for a short kiss, which turned into a longer kiss, which led to chasing kisses as they walked down the hall to their bedroom.

“Are you sure?” Joe asked, once more not mentioning the elephant in the room. “Yes. Yes, I’m sure. In fact,” Will said, kissing Joe, “please?”. Joe chuckled, wrapping his arms around Will’s waist. “Who’s needy now?” he asked, lifting Will up and placing him on the bed.

“I want you so bad,” Will whispered, pulling Joe closer to him with hands on his cheeks. “Fuck, baby. You can’t just say those things,” Joe growled, climbing on top of Will to smother his face in kisses. He was quickly unbuttoning his pants while feverishly kissing Will’s neck.

Will stopped Joe and pushed him back gently so that he would have a full view of his body. Slowly, Will unbuttoned his own pants and undid the zipper, making a show of taking his slacks off. His undershirt was unbuttoned, exposing his scrawny chest.

“Let me kiss you,” Joe exhaled. Will nodded and Joe was upon him in a second. The white undershirt would have torn if it weren’t for it already being undone as Joe practically ripped it off of Will’s shoulders. He planted soft kisses there, and down his arms, and on his chest, and on his stomach.

“Do you know how much I want to fuck you?” Joe asked. Will squirmed beneath him. “If it’s as much as I want you to fuck me, I do,” he said with little air. Joe hastily removed his own slacks and undershirt to reveal his slightly toned muscles and battle scars.

“Motherfucker,” Will said, hands gripping at Joe’s biceps, then shifted to lightly trace the largest scar on his stomach, close to his navel. “Boy am I lucky to have you,” he said, kissing Joe while sticking a hand down his underwear. Joe moaned into Will’s mouth, placing a hand with a bruising grip on his hip.

Will spread his fingers out underneath Joe’s waistband, slowly pulling down the underwear to reveal him in all his glory. “I want to see you naked,” Joe said, voice barely above a whisper. Will leaned back onto the bed, distancing himself slightly from Joe, and slid his own underwear off, throwing it across the room.

“Lay back, on the bed,” Joe mumbled, trying not to come right then and there. Will did so, propping himself up on the pillows behind him. “You’re so beautiful,” he said, crawling over Will to grab his dick and start pumping.

Will wrapped his arms around Joe’s neck to pull him down on top of him, bodies pressed toe to toe, hip to hip, and chest to chest. “I don’t want to waste any more time,” he said, brushing stray curls out of Joe’s eyes. “Okay,” he nodded vigorously.

Joe leaned over to the side table to grab lube and a condom, giving Will more time to become comfortable. “Let me know if I hurt you,” Joe said, leaning down to give Will a kiss. “You couldn’t,” Will smiled.

Will spread his legs for Joe, letting him get close. Sitting back on his knees, Joe pulled Will’s legs over his thighs and popped open the lube cap to spread some of the water-based liquid onto two fingers. “Two?” Will asked, looking from Joe’s hands, to his dick. “Don’t worry, it’ll only burn a bit,” Joe shrugged faux-innocently.

Immediately the two fingers were pressed against Will’s entrance, teasing a moan out of him. “Nobody’s around for miles. Be loud,” Joe said quietly, pushing the first finger in.

Will did so, his hips pushing up as he let out a sharp gasp followed by another deep moan. “That’s it,” Joe said, pumping in and out slowly to draw whimpers and groans from the man below him. “Faster,” Will said, hand grasped tightly on one of Joe’s arms. “Faster and more.”

Joe grinned sultrily. “As you wish,” he said, going to press the second finger in. When he was fully seated, Will hummed in displeasure. The hand around Joe’s bicep curled tightly and he could feel Will’s short nails making marks on his skin. “What’s wrong?” Joe asked quickly. “Just uncomfortable. Give it a second,” Will said. “Don’t you dare stop.”

As Joe worked Will open, he was granted small whines and whimpers. “You think you’re ready?” Joe asked. “Kiss me, please,” Will said in a small voice. Joe leaned over Will to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth, then immediately an open mouth kiss to his lips.

When he pulled back, he looked down at Will. His hair was messed up, his face was pink, his lips were almost bruised, and he looked utterly debauched. It was glorious. “I can’t believe I took you apart like this,” Joe said, wrapping his hand around Will’s cock, beginning to jerk him off.

Will bit his lip and threw his head back. “Loud,” Joe reminded him. Will moaned sonorously, his whole back arching. “I’m going to come,” he gasped. Joe immediately pulled his hand away. “Not yet,” he said, kissing the inside of Will’s thigh.

Joe tore open the condom packet with his teeth and pulled it down over himself, jerking himself a little bit for good measure. “Lube?” he asked Will. He nodded. “Alright then,” Joe said, climbing back over to grab the small bottle and lube his dick up.

“You don’t have to be gentle,” Will said, voice small. Joe leaned over him to kiss him gently on the cheek. “I’m going to be gentle at first because I don’t want to hurt you. We’ll see how things play out, okay?” Joe said, leaning back on his knees. Will nodded.

Joe lined himself up to Will’s entrance, pushing in slightly. He looked to Will for confirmation to proceed and Will nodded frantically. Slowly, Joe pushed more and more in. Will let out a breathy gasp, then hissed in pain. “Tell me,” Joe said, stopping. “Just wait a second, let me adjust,” Will finally said, having a hard time with words.

They sat there until Will squeezed his hand around Joe’s arm to let him know it was okay to proceed. Joe finally pushed all the way in, stopping again to let Will adjust as Joe could see that he was uncomfortable.

“Why is this so hard?” Will said through gritted teeth. “It gets easier, I promise. And you don’t have to-,” Joe said, but Will cut him off. “I like to, for you,” he whispered. Joe leaned down to kiss Will softly.

“I think I’m ready,” Will nodded. Joe gently pulled out and went back, repeating slowly. Will’s face was contorted in pain until Joe found his sweet spot and he was moaning. Every time Joe bottomed out, Will was whimpering and jutting his hips up. His hands were holding on the pillow above him for dear life.  
Joseph pulled Will’s legs up to fit around his waist, holding the tops of Will’s thighs in order to pull him closer.

“I’m really close,” Will said, followed by a deep moan. “Without being touched? Naughty. Go on then,” Joe said, not stopping. He was close, too, but wasn’t going to come until after Will. Arching his back and rutting his hips, Will came all over himself, breathless.

“Beautiful,” Joe exhaled, watching Will intensely. He just smiled and chuckled, trying to recover from his orgasm. Joe was almost there, but kept going while Will was lying almost limp, overstimulated. “Can I come?” Joe asked. Will nodded slowly, almost completely drained of his energy.

A few more frantic hip jerks later and Joe was coming, deeply seated in Will, his fingers grasping the soft flesh of Will’s thighs harshly. He pulled out slowly, then took off the condom, tying it and walking to the bathroom to throw it away.

He picked up a washcloth and wet it, ringing it out before walking back into their room. “Don’t fall asleep on me,” Joe laughed, brushing hair out of Will’s eyes. “I’m sleepy,” he said, smiling. Joe cleaned up the drying come off of Will’s stomach, leaning down to kiss him softly.

The washcloth was thrown into Joe’s hamper haphazardly. Joe climbed into bed and held Will from behind, kissing the side of his neck. “Comfy?” Joe asked. Will nodded.

“Good. Goodnight, love,” Joe said, pulling Will a little closer to him. “Goodnight, babe,” Will mumbled, snuggling back into Joe. They fell asleep in the comfort of each other’s warmth, content and perfectly willing to stay together like that for eternity.

_It’s just a glimpse of heaven when my baby smiles at me._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know it’s been a while since an update but i hope the length and content makes up for it. sorry if the smut seems a little odd, i just wanted to have that level of intimacy between them established.
> 
> i love writing their relationship as they come together as two completely different people but somehow make it work and it works well. hopefully a character study will be coming up soon. 
> 
> thank you very much for your time and any kudos or comments are appreciated <3


	4. I Left my Sugar Standing in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ptsd flashbacks

Tom sat down on the steps of the back porch of the Blakes’ home, sighing. His curly hair was blonder, changing with the summer sun. Will was out in the field in between the house and the orchard, making an absolute fool of himself in order to make Tom laugh. It seemed to be working. 

The teenager was smiling brightly. Will jogged slowly up to him, pulling him into a hug. When they stepped away from each other, Will looked down at him and pulled him into a long, sweet kiss.

“How are you, really?” Tom asked. “I’m well. You’ve asked that already. Why do you keep asking me?” Will replied. “How’s Joe?” he asked, his brow furrowing. “Joe- Joe’s fine. Joe’s with his wife down the road, remember? They’re happy, I think,” Will replied. 

“Mum and dad, they’re alright too?” Tom asked. “You’re worrying me. I have pictures of them all on me, if you’d like to see,” Will said, pulling his cigarette tin out to show Tom a photograph of the Blake family, then a photo of him and Tom, then a picture of Joe and his wife and 4 children. 

“Joseph is unhappy,” Tom said, pointing to his brother’s face in the portrait of his family. His wife had a large smile across her face whereas Joe looked dead behind the eyes. “How do you know?” Will asked. Tom pulled him down for a kiss. “I just know. He’s like us, Will.” True Blake fashion. 

“Why did he marry?” Will asked. “Because he couldn’t have what we do. And he hurts, Will. More than you could imagine. He’ll get better,” Tom nodded with a sad smile. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” Will asked, placing his hands on Tom’s cheeks. 

“I barely had enough time to say I love you,” Tom said, a tear streaming down his cheek. Will wiped it away with his thumb. “Tell me you love me now,” Will said. Tom mouthed the words, but nothing came out. 

“I have to go now. I’m lucky to have seen you again. Goodbye, Will,” Tom said, walking up the steps into the house. Will tried to follow but he couldn’t. “Wait!” he called. 

Will shot up in bed, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Almost immediately after recognizing his surroundings he broke down into tears. He got up slowly and walked out of his and Joe’s room, going to grab a drink of water. 

He poured himself a glass and sat at the kitchen table by himself in the low light. The sun had either not quite yet set or was on the rise, Will’s vision was too blurry to tell the difference. After finishing his water, he sat with his head in his hands, letting tears fall from his eyes to his cheeks to the table. 

“I don’t understand,” he whispered to himself. “Why not me? Why not me?” he whispered angrily, poking himself in the chest. The image of Tom’s lifeless body left with the picture of his family flashed into his brain. The moment he saw the red gush out of his abdomen and stain his tunic, the moment his face went pale and cold. 

The moment when their fingers intertwined over the wound which soaked through two spools of gauze. The moment where the youngest, most youthful and beautiful person William Schofield has ever seen asked to kiss him, as if it were some sort of honor. The moment when William wished he could’ve breathed all his life into the dying boy and kissed him as such. The moment Thomas Blake took his last breath. 

William inhaled sharply and shot up, sitting straight in his chair. The table wobbled and sent his glass over the side, shattering on the tiled floor. “Fuck!” Will whisper-yelled, going to grab the broom from the pantry. “Hello?” Mrs. Blake asked. 

“I’m sorry to wake you, I was just getting water,” Will said. Mrs. Blake, carrying a candle, walked fully into the kitchen. She saw the broken glass, then looked up to Will. “Worry about that later. Sit, Will,” she said. 

“Ma’am, I-,” Will protested, but she pointed to a wooden chair sternly and wordlessly. She set the candle down on the table and looked William in the eye. 

“How much did you love my son?” 

“Excuse me?” Will sputtered. “Don’t make me repeat myself. You loved him. How much?” she asked. Will looked around the room, anywhere but her eyes. “Quite a bit, ma’am. I wanted to spend the rest of my days with him,” Will said, finally meeting her eyes. She didn’t say or word or make any new facial expressions as she turned to face the flame of the candle. 

“And Joseph?” she asked. “Ma’am, it’s not my place to say anything on his behalf, but I love him with all my being. He is not second. I wish to spend the rest of my days with him,” Will said earnestly. He left out that he would marry him if he could as to not sound bitter. 

“Why? Why pick two of the same family?” she asked. “I don’t know. I can’t remember falling in love with Tom. I just remember that I was, and I wanted him with me always. When I met Joe, it was on completely different terms. I didn’t have Tom. Joseph is a wonderful, caring man. We relied on each other for grieving. And when I came back to live with you... I wrote Joe every day until he came home. It was aching, all consuming longing,” Will said. 

“They’re very different people. And I think I would’ve fallen in love with both of them even if they hadn’t been in the same family. You raised wonderful men, Mrs. Blake.” She was crying silently, tears falling down her face quickly as she watched Will talk. 

“You love Tom. Still,” she said. “I have never seen someone stop loving another person because they’ve died. You love each other.” Will nodded. “Yes, but it’s different now. I can’t think of him without thinking of him dying, or the war, and it’s painful. It physically hurts. Joe is easy, and calming, and understands. If I didn’t have him I don’t know if I would be here,” Will admitted. 

“Me neither,” his mom said, frowning. “May I tell you that when Tom died, I pulled out a picture of you all from his breast pocket and he held it tightly? And he wasn’t scared. He was loved,” Will whispered. His mother broke down even more. 

“I don’t mean to upset you,” Will said, trying to comfort Mrs. Blake. “You aren’t. I just didn’t know someone could have this much capacity for love,” she said, their red, tear-filled eyes meeting. Hers were the same as Tom’s. 

“I want you to make my son happy,” she said. Will smiled sadly. “Me too,” he said. “To be completely honest, I don’t know if I am. I like to think I am. But-,” Will said, shaking his head. Mrs. Blake grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “You make him so happy, William. His face lights up when he sees you and he’s so calm. I don’t want to begin to think how he would’ve grieved without you,” she said. 

Will had no words. He smiled at Mrs. Blake, then looked down at his hands on the table. “Maybe we’ll be better soon. Maybe we won’t. I will always love Joseph, Mrs. Blake,” Will said, still eyeing their clasped hands. She squeezed his, smiling sadly. “You’re a perfect gentleman for my son. Will you take care of him for me?” 

“Of course, any day,” Will nodded earnestly. “Good. Now, I’m going to go to bed. Would you clean this up for me?” she said with a small smile, wiping tears off her cheeks. Will laughed slightly. “Yes, ma’am, I will,” he said, standing up carefully to get the broom and dustpan. 

“Goodnight, William. Thank you,” she said, nodding. She mentioned nothing, as most Blakes don’t, but Will understood well enough. “Goodnight,” he nodded back. She retreated to her bedroom as he cleaned up the shards as best as he could, dumping them into the kitchen bin. 

He slowly returned to his and Joseph’s room, crawling into the bed. “What was that all about?” Joseph whispered, propping himself up on his elbow. “I talked to your mother about some things,” Will said. There was a small silence when Joe just played with Will’s hair. 

“Do I make you happy?” William asked. Joseph stopped. “You make me want to wake up every morning, William. You make me more than happy. Were you doubting that?” Joseph asked. Will said nothing and made no movement as to answer the question. 

“Come here,” Joe said, pulling Will into his muscular chest. He pet Will’s hair softly, then kissed the top of his head. “You’re my favorite,” he said. Will smiled and pressed a kiss to his chest. “You’re my favorite,” he said, looking up at Joseph. 

“Do you want to sleep now?” Joseph asked. Will nodded, curling back up into Joe’s chest. “Sleep well, darling,” he said, holding Will as close and tight to him as possible. “Sweet dreams, my love,” Will said, muffled by Joe’s nightshirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i appreciate that i get to world build this post canon life that i didn’t create. i needed a softer side to round out the pervious few heavy chapters even if it does feature tom. mrs. blake supporting her boys is my love language.
> 
> i also appreciate any comments or kudos thrown my way. thank you!!


	5. Yes Sir! That’s My Baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the fluffiest thing i have ever written

“Here it is,” Joe announced, holding up a piece of paper in Will’s face. He looked puzzled until he realized, “the deed!” He jumped up and wrapped his arms around Joe’s neck, who laughed as he slipped his arms around Will’s waist and kissed the side of his neck.

“I just need to give it to the city and we will have our very own house,” Joe smiled. Will planted a smiley kiss on his lips, holding his cheeks. “Our house,” he said, putting his forehead up against Joe’s. “Ours,” Joe repeated.

A week later, they had moved all of their newly purchased furniture and their old things into their home. It was old and abandoned after the war and happened to be dirt cheap. Joe snatched up the offer for the price, but it also helped that Will was in love with the history of their cottage home.

The outside was traditional, but the inside had been refurbished to mid 1920s standard— the simplicity of a brick fireplace and wooden flooring with maximum knick knacks on the bookshelves and mantel. The bedrooms and a bathroom were the only things on the second floor. The first bedroom had only one large bed, one dresser, and one closet, but they didn’t have very many clothes that were worn exclusively. The second bedroom was done up as an office with a small bed for guests.

Their first night in the house was a quiet one. Joe attempted to make a French recipe from a card his mother had given them as a parting gift, but Will took over to save their house from burning to the ground. It turned out to be delicious with a good bottle of wine. They ended up in bed, chest to chest and exhausted after round two.

The sun shined in their window the next morning, waking the two of them up slowly. William leaned over Joseph to kiss him slowly, languidly, ravishingly until neither of them could breathe. “Good morning,” Joe smiled, making Will smile.

“Good morning. I’m going to make breakfast and then starting drafting my garden,” Will said, standing up. The night shirt he was wearing was really Joe’s, making to it just big enough to fall right under his ass. Joe nodded in acknowledgment, even though Will couldn’t see him, and sat up.

The breakfast served was country fries and scrambled eggs, Joe’s favorite. They sat at their small table set for two in between the kitchen and living rooms, that being the only available place to put it.

“Do you ever think about the families we could’ve had?” Will asked, pushing the eggs on his plate around, having already finished the potatoes. “Is that why you’ve mentioned the straight thing? You’re upset because you can’t give me children?” Joe asked, shoveling food into his mouth.

“Not upset, just... I always wanted a daughter. To dress her up and make her look pretty and teach her what a man should treat her like, that’s she’s special,” Will said. He scraped his eggs onto Joe’s now empty plate. Joe immediately scarfed them down. “Sometimes I do wish we could have kids. The government would never let us, though,” Joe said.

“Yeah, like that’s what’s stopping us,” Will rolled his eyes. Joe stood up and carried their dishes in the sink, setting them in the deep basin in preparation to wash them. Will walked up behind Joe, wrapping his hands around Joe’s waist. “I wish I could marry you,” he said, kissing the back of Joe’s neck.

“The government won’t let us do that, either,” Joe said, jokingly serious. Will just sat and hugged him for a while. “I’m going to go draft, will you be okay down here?” Will asked. Joe simply nodded. “I love you, this is our house!” Will called as he walked to the stairs. “I love you too,” Joe replied.

Will sat down at the desk in the second bedroom, pulling out paper and a fountain pen. He drew out the parameters of the space available, then sat looking at the seed packets he had available for the upcoming spring. He was at a loss as to put what where.

Joe came bounding up the stairs a few minutes later, poking his head into the room. “I’m going to get dressed and head out for a few things,” Joe said. “Okay, be safe. Be well,” Will said. Joe disappeared to get dressed and came back looking extremely dapper.

“What are you dressed for?” Will asked, turning in his seat to face Joe in the doorway. Joe walked over and pressed a kiss to Will’s forehead. “Just groceries. We’re having lasagna, right?” he asked, walking back to leave. “Yes. Your ass looks amazing in those pants,” Will said shamelessly.

Joe laughed. “Maybe we’ll have dessert after dinner, then,” he said, walking out of the door and down the stairs. Will smiled to himself.

He pulled another sheet of paper out of the cubby they were stored in and set it down on the desk. He began to write.

_Dear Joseph,_

_I do not have enough words to express my feelings. There will always be unsaid emotions between us. However, I want you to know that I wake up every day to see your face and to know what you will do. I go to sleep every night in your arms with tranquility, knowing that you will hold me up when I cannot do it myself. I smile to see you smile. I laugh to see you laugh. I dream of you. I can only hope to make you feel the same. You are a masterpiece. I adore you._

_Yours in love,_

_William Schofield_

Will smiled at his own words. Once the ink dried, he folded up the note and drew a heart on it, then walked into their bedroom and set it on the pillow of Joe’s side of the bed. He sat down with a huff, feeling exhausted after doing practically nothing. “Maybe a small nap won’t hurt,” he said to himself, laying down over the quilt and getting comfortable. He was asleep within minutes.

He was woken up by kisses to his cheek and forehead, then a weight settling over his waist. “Wakey, wakey,” he heard Joe say, making him groan. “What time is it?” he rasped out. “Noon. You still have plenty of time to do your garden,” Joe said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to Will’s lips.

“I think I would just like to have a lazy day. Is that alright?” Will asked, rubbing one of his eyes. “Sounds perfect to me,” Joe said, rolling over to lay on his side. His head hit the love note on his pillow, making a loud crushed paper noise. He reached behind his head, pulled out the now crinkled parchment and eyed it, then glanced at Will who was fighting to stay awake.

Joseph read the note, smiling. Tears were forming in his eyes. “I love you,” he said, rolling over to kiss Will. Will was half asleep, but he kissed Joe anyway. He pulled Will into his arms, snuggling into him. “I love you,” Will whispered.

The napped for another hour or so, just savoring the feeling of safety and comfort. Will woke up first, done with napping for a couple of hours already. He could feel Joe’s hard-on poking into the back of his thigh, making him laugh as he rolled his eyes, reaching his hand back to create friction for Joe.

Unknowingly, Joe rutted up in Will’s hand and whimpered quietly. Will struggled to maintain control of himself, but somehow he did. Joe woke himself up as he came in his underwear with a loud moan. He struggled to catch his breath as if he had just done strenuous exercise.

“How do you do that to me?” Joe asked. Their faces were so close that their noses could have touched. Will looked from Joe’s eyes to his mouth and back again. “I wish I knew, I would do it more,” Will said. Joe laughed and kissed him softly.

A month or so later, it was warming up in preparation for the summer. William had finished his garden the day before and was going to lay a blanket down on the small patch of grass in the center to read. Joseph came bounding outside to interrupt Will’s calmness.

“Mind if I join you?” he asked, plopping down beside a criss-crossed Will. “I guess not. Do you want me to read to you?” Will said. Joe made himself comfortable with his head pillowed on Will’s legs and nodded. Will sighed and carded a hand through Joe’s dark curls. “I have _The Most Dangerous Game_ or Emily Dickinson Poems. Which one?”

“Both, but in that order,” Joe said with a smile. Will tried to look incredulous, but his mouth turned up into a smile as well. “As you wish, your highness,” he sighed, picking up Richard Connell’s wonder, opened it to the first page and began to read with his fingers still in Joe’s hair.

Later that night, Joe was cleaning up dinner while Will poured them glasses of wine. “Do you want to go out and watch the stars?” Joe asked, setting the last plate on the dry side of the sink. “It would be my pleasure,” Will smiled. He walked over to place a soft, lingering kiss to Joe’s lips. “Let me get some blankets for us,” he said, setting his glass on the counter and headed upstairs.

Joe grabbed both of their glasses and took a short sip of his. Will returned seconds later with two blankets. He opened the back door and stepped into the garden with Joe right behind him. They spread out one blanket on the ground and cuddled together on top of it with the bigger, comfier one around them.

There was a comfortable silence, changed only by the wind. “Do you remember when I first kissed you?” Joe asked. Will thought on it for a moment. “It was the end of 1917, close to Christmas,” Will said. Joe nodded. “And I had to send you home two days later. Do you know how much I missed you?”

“I missed you and worried about you. I worried about you until Armistice day,” Will said, leaning into Joe. “But we got you back safely.” Joe wrapped his arm around Will. “You did. I fell in love with you seeing you surrounded by all those cherry blossoms.”

“That’s when you fell in love?” Will asked with a gasp. Joe laughed at him and squeezed him tight. “That’s when I knew for sure. That’s when I knew,” he said, fiddling with something in his pocket. He procured a small, velvet box. “That I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life.”

Joseph moved in front of Will, then opened the box. Inside was a silver ring with a small diamond inside and _Schofield_ and _Blake_ inscribed on either side of the stone. Will gasped. “Six years ago, I met the love of my life. Five years ago, I got to call him mine. This year, we bought our house. Now... William Schofield, will you marry me?”

Tears ran down William’s cheeks. “Yes, goddamnit. Yes, now kiss me,” he said, sticking his hand out for the ring. Once Joe had slid it onto his finger, Will pulled Joe down on top of him, kissing him fiercely.

Will couldn’t bring himself to pull away from Joe. He kissed him and kissed him until he couldn’t breathe and he still kissed him more. Finally, Joe pulled away and rested his forehead against Will’s, both breathing heavily. Joe laughed, then they both laughed, pulling away from each other slightly. 

“There is nobody else I would rather be with for the rest of my life, legal or not,” Will smiled. “Legality doesn’t matter. I’m infatuated with you. I’m so in love that I don’t even know how to begin to show you. You are now mine, Will,” Joe said, grabbing his left hand to push on the ring.

“You’re my fiancé,” Joe said with a smile. Will smiled back. Joe pressed a soft kiss to Will’s almost-bruised lips. “Soon we’ll be married and we’ll be husbands. But for now, let’s just watch the sky,” Will said, laying back onto the blanket. Joe laid with his head on Will’s chest, then pulled the blanket up over the both of them.

“Yes sir, that’s my baby. No sir, I don’t mean maybe. Yes sir, that’s my baby now,” Joe began to sing. Will could feel the fondness of his voice, making him smile and join in to please Joe. “Yes ma’am, we’ve decided. No ma’am, we ain’t gonna hide it. Yes ma’am, you’re invited now,” Will sang, eliciting a whoop and clap from Joe.

They sang together quietly in the dark of the night, just watching the stars, _to-be married_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahh !! updates are taking forever and i don’t know how many i can do but i will world build with these two as long as i can. btw, every chapter title (and the work title) is a song you should listen to :)
> 
> as always, much love. kudos + comments very welcome !!


	6. Wildwood Flower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the boys get puppies :)

“Mum’s just phoned me. She said she’s ready for us to see Myrtle’s new puppies,” Joe said, leaning against the doorframe. They were upstairs getting ready for Joe’s parents’ arrival. “Do they look more like Myrtle or Pepper?” Will asked. “Pepper,” Joe said with a smile. 

Myrtle was an English Cocker Spaniel. Her coloring was white with light brown ears. Pepper was the next door neighbor’s Cocker Spaniel who had a black and grey speckled coat. 

“Stop messing with your collar, you look fine,” Joe said, walking fully into the room. He leaned down over Will’s shoulder and buttoned his top button on his shirt, looking into the mirror. “We’re getting a dog,” Joe smiled. “We’re getting our dog,” Will said, turning to press a soft kiss to Joe’s cheek. 

“We’ll come up with a name when we see her, yes?” Joe smiled. Will nodded. They got up and left their house together, walking to the train stop just up the road from them. 

When they arrived at the Blake family home, they were shocked to see so many puppies running around the house. “Mum! How many puppies did Myrtle have?” Joe asked, laughing as he hugged his mother. She hugged him and then Will, both with a big smile on her face. 

“Nine! The biggest litter yet! I’ll have them all put up in their pen in one second. In the meantime, please, pour yourselves something to drink,” Mrs. Blake said, gesturing to the kitchen before running off after some little dogs. Joe shrugged and led the way to the refrigerator. 

After a few minutes, all of the puppies were in a small pen with Myrtle. They were playing with each other, yipping and squeaking as they ran around. “Pick whichever you’d like, boys,” Mrs. Blake said, nodding towards the pen. 

Joseph stepped right in, helping William in while holding his hand. As the kneeled in the center, Myrtle wagged her tail happily at the sight of the familiar faces. “Hey, old gal,” Joe waved. 

Immediately, what had to be the prettiest puppy tried to jump up and bite Joe’s hand, growling. “Feisty fella, aren’t you?” Joe asked, playing with the dog. Meanwhile, a small, quiet dog had curled up in Will’s lap and was falling asleep. “Looks like you have two contenders,” Mrs. Blake said coyly. 

“Can we have them both, mum? We can pay twice the amount,” Joe asked. “No, that’s not necessary. It’s okay, we’ll only take one if you want, Mrs. Blake,” Will said, though seemingly sad over his dog prospect. 

“Nonsense. Take them both, and for free. Now, what are we calling these dears?” she asked. Will sent her a smile in silent thanks and she winked back at him. Joe picked up his puppy to see it’s sex and decided, “Deidre. Deedee for short. She’s like a lady.” 

Will laughed. He didn’t want to disturb his dog, simply stating, “Bertie,” as he shrugged. Joe nodded at him. “Bertie and Deedee, best of friends,” he smiled. Will smiled back at him. 

They were back off to the train station half an hour later, the small dogs in their interior coat pockets to hide them from the other passengers. Will resisted the urge to lay his head on Joe’s shoulder and doze off. 

When they arrived home, they saw that their puppies had fallen asleep in their pockets. Slowly and gently, they removed the dogs from their coats and set them down on their large bed. Joe laughed as he took Will’s jacket to hang up in their closet. 

“We have our own puppies, Will,” Joe smiled, unbuttoning his shirt. “I feel like a dad now,” Will said, handing Joe his button-up and slacks to put in their laundry basket. He already had slipped on his pajama bottoms, omitting the top as the both of them did quite often to prevent over-heating. 

Once Joe had put on his own pajamas, he climbed into bed next to Will, careful not to wake the sleeping dogs curled up against each other at the foot of the mattress. Will quickly cuddled into Joe’s chest, wrapping his arms around him slightly. Joe’s hand rested on Will’s bare back, tracing his pointer fingers gently up and down next to his spine. 

“I love you,” Joe whispered, kissing the top of Will’s head. “I love you,” Will replied, kissing Joe’s shoulder. Almost exactly like their dogs, they fell asleep content and warm just being near each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is VERY short but these two need doggies and softness. come chat w me on tumblr @en-aughra!


	7. It Had To Be You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the wedding; soft + nsfw

“You ready?” Joseph’s father asked him, fixing his bow tie. “Are you? I know this isn’t what you wanted from me,” Joe said, letting his father fiddle uselessly. His father stopped and placed his hands on Joe’s shoulders. “I want you to be happy and to feel loved, not just by your mother and I. Will loves you and he makes you happy. He’s exactly what I wanted.”

Joe was close to tears. His father simply pulled him into a tight hug. “If you’re ready to commit yourself to William for the rest of your life, I want you to walk out there and tell him. By the end of the day, you’ll be a married man. Now let’s get your shoes on and have you wed, yeah?” his father said. Joe nodded. “Thank you, dad. I appreciate it,” he said. His dad clapped him on the back and smiled proudly.

“Oh, you do look so handsome in your suit,” Mrs, Blake said, straightening the collar on Will’s button-up. “Thank you, ma’am,” he said, smiling. “I think it’s about time you call me mum. You will be my son-in-law in an hour,” she said, placing a hand on Will’s cheek and smiled up at him. Will fought back tears as he said, “okay.”

“Your sister’s on the way?” Mrs. Blake asked, tidying the spare room which they had used to get ready. “No, mum,” Will sighed, sitting on the bed. “Well why not? That’s a quite horrible thing for her to do,” Mrs. Blake tsked. “I’ve done worse,” Will mumbled. “I’m sure that can’t be-,” Mrs. Blake started, sitting next to Will. “She still thinks I died in combat. She’s thought I was dead since 1917. I’d rather her think that then call the police on my wedding day,” Will said.

“Sweetheart, I’m so sorry for you. I wish this could be a different time, but we’re stuck. Don’t fret, I’ll sit on your side. I’m going to see Joe before he makes his way to the arch,” Mrs. Blake said, standing up and leaving the room. Will burst into tears of joy as soon as the door closed.

Mrs. Blake wasn’t lying. She was sat on the only chair on Will’s side, Mr. Blake opposite her on Joe’s. The were framed by Will’s summer garden and centered by Joe standing at the white arch decorated in pink roses. Will watched this family in wonder, smiling at the support and love Joe had from his parents, and now the love and support Will would receive. He could only imagine it will increase from when he was living in their house.

Slowly but surely, Will made his way down the makeshift aisle and to the arch. Joseph had tears in his eyes. _Don’t make me cry_ , Will mouthed. Joe smiled.

They weren’t allowed a minister. They weren’t allowed an officiant. All they could do was share vows. That would be enough.

“William Schofield. Never in my life have I seen such a wonderful beauty as you. Even in pain, in sickness, I saw you. You’re a strong, sensitive man, who’s been to hell and back, at one point, for me, and you’ve only become stronger from it. You carry the weight of the world with you, and I hope that with this ring that you’ll let me carry it with you,” Joseph said. Will smiled at him.

“I don’t need to mention our past, mostly because you’ve just put it so beautifully. I do see our future together being bright, full of fun and heartwarming adventures. I see us growing old together, going into the new decades with a newfound trust and respect to who we were. We will grow together, love together, and be there for each other. The best part is, I know I didn’t have to say that out loud because you make me feel that way every single day,” Will said. Joe was now tearing up.

The puppies yipped from the side of the yard, way out of sight. “What they said! You may now kiss your husband,” Mrs. Blake called. Joe shrugged and placed his hand on the side of Will’s face, bringing him in for a sweet kiss. “I’ll be saving the rest for later,” Joe whispered, winking at Will.

Mrs. Blake and Will made a small shepherds pie for dinner, and soon after eating, the parents left. Joe’s tie was thrown on the kitchen table and his coat was on a back of a chair, sleeves rolled up so that he could wash dishes. “This almost feels like any other day, except I’m yours now. We’re married,” Will said as he dried and put away the plates.

Joe cleaned the last of them and dried his hands off on a kitchen towel. “Would you like to continue upstairs, love?” he asked, beginning to unbutton his shirt. “Fuck yes,” Will smiled, leading the way up the steps.

Joe pressed Will against a wall, his hands cupping Will’s cheeks and his knee pressing up between Will’s legs to grant friction. “You’re gonna scream my name, aren’t you?” Joe whispered into Will’s ear, kissing his jaw and continuing down his neck with hickeys. “I’ll do whatever you ask,” Will said breathlessly.

Joe led the way into their bedroom, slowly pulling his clothes off. Will did the same, sitting naked on the bed watching Joe step of of his slacks and underwear. “Ravishing, Mr. Blake,” Will said, watching Joe turn around. He was already hard. “I’m going to ravish you, Mr. Blake,” Joe said, crawling across the bed to drop on top of Will and kiss him all over, making Will laugh.

“I love you, Joseph,” Will said, voice quiet, wrapping his arms around Joe’s neck. “I love you, William. Until the end of time and back, I love you,” Joe said against Will’s lips, then kissed him deeply. “Ravish me already, will you?” Will asked, making Joe laugh and press a kiss to his shoulder. “I’m ravishing, I’m ravishing.”

_With all your faults, I love you still. It had to be you, wonderful you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a lovely end to a lovely book. 
> 
> i love y’all !! come check out my tumblr @en-aughra !!


End file.
